Dipeptidyl-peptidase IV is a membrane serine protease present in numerous human tissues and involved in numerous pathologies:
In particular, DPP IV has been shown to be responsible for inactivation of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1). GLP-1, being an important stimulator of the secretion of insulin in the pancreas, has a direct beneficial effect on the level of glucose in the blood. Inhibition of DPP IV accordingly represents an extremely promising approach in the treatment of glucose intolerance and of disorders associated with hyperglycaemia such as, for example, non-insulin-dependent diabetes (type II diabetes) or obesity.